


Chill

by evr



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Anal Sex, Fighting As Foreplay, Galo has a danger kink, Lio is a playful bully, M/M, Oral Sex, Switching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:34:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23156398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evr/pseuds/evr
Summary: Galo has no chill.Lio gives him chills.Like a lot.
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 20
Kudos: 316





	Chill

**Author's Note:**

> So [this tweet happened](https://twitter.com/taki_bert/status/1232402815563304960?s=20) and I happened to see it, resulting in this mess. :)
> 
> I'd like to thank [@Taki_bert on twitter](https://twitter.com/taki_bert) for being cool with my version of events.
> 
> If you'd like to follow me and my promare shitposting, I can be found [@covetedthrone](https://twitter.com/covetedthrone).

"Right, hold it like this," Galo had his arms on either side of Lio, trying to demonstrate how to properly hold one of their guns.

"...I miss shooting things out of my hands directly," Lio said with amusement.

"Uh, it's probably the same principle?" Once he was satisfied that Lio was holding it correctly, he stepped back and let him aim on his own.

"Let's find out." Lio fired. The target was encased in ice, which was more or less the point. "Hm."

"Is it?"

"Not really." Lio turned the weapon over in his hands, inspecting it. "You used more precise shots to restrain us. How?"

"...Well, hopefully we won't have to use that again, but--" Galo reached over him and flipped a small switch right near Lio's fingers "--that's how."

"Great. Let me test it on you."

"What. No!"

Lio grinned and aimed it right at him.

"Okay, both of you cut it out," Ignis spoke. "Fotia, aiming that at him should make you instantly fail your certification."

"I could just re-take the test, right?" He shrugged, gun still in hand, grin still on his face.

"In a _year_."

"...Tsk. Fine." He turned back to the targets and shot at each one once, this time with more precision so the entire target wasn't swallowed in one hit, but ice crystals bloomed like flowers in the bullseye of each one. "Will that do?"

"Yes." Ignis made some notes on a clipboard.

"I don't see why I should bother being tested. Galo didn't have to do this."

"You're not going to be getting a recommendation from Kray Foresight, so you _do_ have to."

Lio looked at Galo with a disgusted expression, " _Really_? You left _that_ part of it out while bragging to me?"

"Well, I wasn't _going_ to leave it out, but then I thought you'd make exactly that face, so I didn't want to say it." Galo was not doing a very good job of defending his decision. Lio scowled at him even harder.

"Idiot."

Two months after the Second World Blaze, Lio was technically a firefighter. It was truly a bizarre turn of events.

In the days after the Parnassus disaster, Galo had invited Lio to crash on his couch, which Lio had eventually accepted (after trying to stay awake for three days rescuing people). A few weeks later, the couch disappeared and was replaced with a full-size futon that folded into a bench. It didn't sink in the middle and was better on the back- Lio hadn't _cared_ about that so much, since he 'used to sleep on the ground a lot', but Galo wanted to make him feel welcome. Lio suggested they could share and Galo insisted that he deserved his own space.

So after two months, Lio had decided to cement his position at Burning Rescue, so he could pay his fair share of rent. When Galo assured him that he didn't have to worry about it as long as he was sleeping on a couch in the living room, Lio talked to the landlord and got them upgraded to a two bedroom apartment with both of their names on the lease, without even letting Galo know until he got home and all his stuff was boxed up.

Whether it was frustrating or not, Lio sure got things done.

So that was last week. His tests had started for his certifications, and he was pretty much a pro at everything he did. He earned all kinds of praise, and acted like a perfectionist, never showing weakness at work. Nobody would guess he was kind of a slob.

Okay, slob was too harsh. But he hadn't lived in a real home for years, so he was learning some things, and it wasn't always easy. The toilet paper thing was especially terrible. He wasn't above lounging around in his underwear on hot days (and… Galo wasn't really sure why _that_ , of all things, bothered him? He did it too! It was hypocritical but he just felt weird seeing Lio half-naked!).

He was stupidly competitive, and if he ever found _anything_ in which Galo had a high score, Lio would practice until he could beat it. That applied to target practice, too. A very frustrating guy. Galo adored him. They were going to be the _best_ of friends.

"You're getting tested with the mechs next week, and then CPR after that," Ignis announced, standing and turning to walk away. "Good luck, Rookie."

Lio pulled a face, and Galo cheered, "Hah! I'm not the rookie anymore! This is great."

"Right. You're just here because of _Kray Foresight_ ," Lio reminded him, "They ought to revoke your certifications and fire you based on that alone."

He could tell Lio wasn't serious, so he didn't bother getting offended. "Okay, well, that meant you passed, so that's awesome news. Wanna go celebrate?"

"Hm. Let me shoot you with this once, first," Lio aimed the gun at him again, and Galo made a less-than-dignified noise as he jumped out of the way and ran out of the room.

  
  
  


Lio spent the next three days reading manuals for piloting and maintenance. He was nothing if not dedicated to doing this.

And really, that ought to be touching. Galo had urged him to pursue being a firefighter _once_ and Lio took right to it, and worked so hard.

"There's a difference between trying hard and being a tryhard," Lucia informed Galo one afternoon after observing Lio's first test run. "He tries hard. You're a tryhard."

Galo didn't get it, so he wasn't offended, but he had a feeling he should have been.

Remi was the one holding the clipboard this time. "Considering none of the mechs are fitted for someone his size, he's doing rather well."

"I'm starting to get some neat ideas for custom stuff to make him," Lucia grinned. "I like his style. Efficient."

Varys made a grunting sound that seemed like agreement.

"Did you guys agree to pass him before you even started, or…?" Galo looked at them with suspicion.

"Yep."

"Pretty much."

"I mean, he's a natural."

Galo couldn't really argue with that. He wasn't sure he even wanted to. Lio was getting along with everyone great, and it was awesome to watch it happen.

  
  
  


Lio liked over-seasoned foods. Maybe because so much of what he'd been eating as a burnish was full of preservatives, and seasoning helped hide when food was starting to go off so he could still force it down… Well, the reasoning for it aside, he was banned from the spice rack until he learned moderation. Galo would watch him measure it out, and Lio would be scowling over it the whole time.

"It wasn't _that_ bad," Lio grumbled.

"I felt like I was breathing fire," Galo shot back.

"So you can't handle spicy food, just admit it."

"Excuse you, I _love_ spicy food. That was a murder attempt! Your taste buds must be completely fried!"

Lio glared at him for a moment, then tossed the seasoning into the pan with the garlic and onions. Fragrant. Made his eyes water. It would have a strong flavor even without overloading it with spices, which is why Galo thought to give him the recipe.

They would cook together sometimes. Lio was an expert with flame, after all, and even if he couldn't control it directly anymore, he knew how it worked on a deep level that made him awesome at getting meat cooked just perfectly. He could even do something with steak that he called 'Pittsburgh rare', which looked hard to do, and also looked like it would be kind of awful yet actually tasted fantastic. Galo tried to imitate it, and it always came out super well-done (burnt, actually).

Galo only knew how to cook at all because he'd been living alone for so long. It was more fun to do it together.

He suspected that maybe Lio didn't like it quite as much. He'd been avoiding looking at him for long, even when they were talking.

"Is there a problem?"

"What?"

Galo leaned close instead of repeating himself, and Lio's eyes went wide and panicky. His face was a little red, too.

"Can you _not_?"

"What is it?!"

"You're wearing an _apron_ , Galo, without a _shirt_ underneath it. You look ridiculous!"

Galo balked at that, and flexed dramatically. "Oh, I see, you're _intimidated_."

Lio punched him in the stomach.

It wasn't that painful; Galo might have even called it playful, but he doubled over and Lio stood over him triumphantly.

"Now go put on _clothes_ , you idiot."

Cooking together was fun. Food always tasted better in his company.

Living with Lio was really weird, and Galo loved it.

  
  
  


He even loved living with him on bad days.

Lio's life wasn't sunshine and rainbows. Some of the nightmares he suffered, he suffered _loudly_. 

Galo knew how those felt. He'd grown up with them, because his early life wasn't sunshine and rainbows either.

At least he wouldn't make Lio deal with them alone. They spent those evenings together with stupid movies, or video games, or just talking until the sun came up, keeping him distracted until he'd tiredly rest his head against Galo's shoulder wearing a soft, vulnerable smile.

They developed a system. Lio would tap very gently on the wall between their rooms, and if Galo was awake enough to hear it he'd rush over to comfort him (and Lio questioned why Galo always came, he couldn't _always_ be awake. In truth, he was a light sleeper, but he tried not to let Lio know that). When Lio thanked him in the morning, Galo had gotten so wrapped up in what they were doing, he'd forgotten what there was to be thanked for. It was a comfort for both of them.

Lio was just great to be around.

Constantly.

That didn't really strike him as odd.

  
  
  


"I only know how burnish CPR works," Lio said aloud, reading over a guide while lounging back on the sofa. "It sounds the same, the way it's described here. Is it?"

"Uh," Galo paused to consider it.

"You're the only one I know who's done both, so I figure you must be an expert."

Lio's eyes were always very intense. They were definitely piercing right through Galo at that moment. "I guess it's similar. Not the same."

Lio sat up. "Show me?"

He was leaning forward slightly. Expectantly? That was a little demanding. Lio could be pretty pushy, but Galo never minded.

"Sure, I'll just go grab the dummy and we can practice--"

" _Nevermind_ ," Lio said suddenly, lying back down and returning to the guide in his hands.

Lio was a bit of a mystery sometimes.

  
  
  
  


After passing those first two tests, Lio was allowed to go with them on calls; not that anyone stopped him from doing that before, but now he was _allowed_ to go, which meant nobody even had to tell him he was breaking rules when he came along.

He wasn't supposed to do much, since he was technically meant to be in training. But really, good luck telling Lio Fotia not to do something he intended to do. He might've been willing to observe at one point, but Lio was the type to be involved, get his hands dirty with the rest of them. Which was something Galo really liked about him. He was pretty sure that was why they worked so well as friends.

It was a little unnerving to watch him examine those expensive, experimental 'Absolute Zero' bullets.

"I've been shot with it before," Lio told him. "It's weird to think that it could kill me so easily now."

"Maybe you shouldn't be messing with it, then?"

"You underestimate me," Lio beamed up at him.

"More like I'm _not_ underestimating a deadly weapon."

Regardless, Lio had somehow gained permission to keep one. Just one. They were expensive, couldn't be wasted.

And yet Galo watched him load it into his newly-issued gun the first time he came along on a call with them, to a fire in a warehouse that stored chemicals.

Ignis shouted a warning that conditions were perfect for a flashover, and Lio took swift aim as soon as the wide shipping doors were pried open.

Right as the flashpoint ignited, ice consumed it and ate along every inch the heat tried to spread, a cooling arch created around the entire wall and ceiling, snuffing out every trace of the fire along them within seconds. A few windows shattered, ice spires jutting out of them. The flames were _gone_.

It died down to a sizzle. Then gentle dripping sounds as the ice started to melt, and nobody said a word for a while.

"Holy _shit_ , Rookie," Varys broke the silence.

Ignis whistled, which was basically the most impressed he'd ever visibly been.

Galo had barely even stepped off the truck.

"Uh-- How did you--"

"Have one of those bullets lodged in your chest for a week and you start to understand how they work," Lio looked so smug, "Plus, I _get_ fire."

Why the fuck was that so _hot_?

"Alright team, we still have _some_ of the job left to do. Make sure there's no wounded and secure the area." Ignis barked out orders and they all rushed to comply - except Lio, who hadn't gotten clearance for tending to the wounded yet, and Galo, who forgot how his legs worked.

Lio turned to him with a grin, spinning the now-emptied gun on his finger almost threateningly. "Ready to let me shoot you, so you can learn to pull that off? Or are you cool with me showing you up that hard?"

His teasing voice hit a nerve. But not like, a competitive nerve. More like _every single fucking nerve in Galo's body_. It was probably weird that he would've said yes to just about anything Lio asked him for just then. It was probably even weirder that he was so turned on by the idea of Lio stepping closer with that gun in his hand, barrel pressed under his chin, pushing him down and--

Fuck. _Fuck_. No, he had a _job_ to do.

"...Galo?" The teasing voice was gone, replaced with concern. Less of a turn-on, but it wasn't cooling him down any. "Are you okay?"

"Yep!" He squeaked, finding his voice, "Just. Wow. Good job! I have to go help--- Bye?"

Luckily, the sheer volume of ice surrounding the site cooled him down enough by the time they loaded back into the truck to head back.

But Lio started staring at him with eyes full of suspicion. Like he just _knew_ , and the heat pooled in Galo's lap until he could get back home, hide in his room, and try and figure out why the hell his body was reacting like that.

Firefighting was awesome, but not erotic in the slightest. More like deadly. Dangerous. Lio holding that gun, approaching with that sneaky smile and threatening to fire. Yeah. Okay. Maybe that was a little erotic. Still pretty dangerous, but that kind of made it even better? Because he knew Lio wouldn't actually do anything that would hurt him badly.

He turned the lock on his door. He really didn't want to look Lio in the face, see those sharp eyes. Have him bore through his very soul.

He laid back on his bed and covered his face with one hand. Then, with guilt and embarrassment, he slipped his other hand down the front of his pants.

The guilt felt heaviest; they lived together because he'd insisted, it was supposed to be a safe and comfortable place for Lio to stay, and Galo was getting all riled up thinking about--

About Lio, leaning over him, hands placed on either side of his head and grinning down with that shitty, smug look of his. Pressing a knee between Galo's legs and teasing him for being hard. Calling him all sorts of demeaning things (which Galo wasn't into-- at least, he _thought_ he wasn't, but in the heat of the moment he sure was).

Galo turned on his side and pulled the collar of his shirt up to his mouth, biting down on it as if it was enough to keep him quiet. Lio had been so quick, this was one of the few calls he'd ever been on in which his shirt actually survived. He normally didn't come home wearing one.

Fuck. Lio was so cool. Hot and cool.

Had he noticed that before?

Maybe. Lio had always been attractive, in that objective sort of way that everyone could find something about him that was appealing. Smooth skin, soft fluffy hair, pretty eyes, slim figure. Bossy. Efficient. Amazing.

He could still remember what his lips felt like, once they warmed under him.

And he felt guilty for thinking of that. No more guilty than he already felt about jerking off to his friend and roommate, though.

He could imagine those lips moving against his own. Against his neck, maybe. Lower. _Lower_.

He stifled a groan in his pillow and came in his hand. This was so messed up. Lio would be mad if he ever found out.

Unless…

Maybe he'd be receptive?

Galo wasn't even sure what he wanted. They were used to each other in ways that might make it weird to fool around. Way weirder to -- to _date_. What would that be like?

He wiped his hand off on his sheets. He could wash them in the morning.

What the hell was wrong with him, anyway? He saw Lio do _one_ really badass thing and it threw him into this state. He'd done other things that should've been way hotter. Like the whole lounging-around-in-nothing-but-underwear thing. Or the way he stretched his body out before a workout (he was just. Super flexible. It was pretty amazing).

That first encounter was kinda hot, he supposed. Lio in armor, tossing him around.

Maybe he just wanted Lio to kick his ass.

Yeah.

Maybe that.

Would've been cool if he could have articulated that better than shouting "FIGHT ME" at him in the gym the next day.

Lio was kind of slippery, and he fought dirty.

So Galo wound up with his ass kicked, and a really awkward boner that he hoped Lio didn't notice.

  
  
  


Okay, so he probably had the hots for Lio. C'mon, everyone must, to an extent. The ex-burnish worshipped the ground he walked on. And he was just really hot. He even had fans in Promepolis when he was still being reported as a terrorist (though their opinions ought to be called into question - 'he can't be that bad if he's hot' isn't a good justification for a crush).

Galo was starting to notice things, like how he dressed. Those pants he liked to wear were stupidly tight. Sometimes he'd steal a shirt from Galo's dresser if he didn't have anything else to wear, and it'd hang off his shoulder. His haircut left the nape of his neck on display. Galo was pretty sure he could put his hands entirely around Lio's tiny waist. Was that even healthy?

He caught Galo staring and looked at him funny.

"Are you sleeping with your eyes open, or what?"

"Huh?"

"You're being extra weird lately," Lio said, obviously suspicious.

He looked cute - not something Galo should call him out loud - because he was wearing a stolen hoodie and because of how massive it was on him, it looked like there was nothing under it. Ridiculous. He had to know how good he looked, right? He was being completely unfair.

"Am not." A solid argument. Good one, Galo.

Lio rolled his eyes and didn't argue more, deeming it not worth his time. He propped his feet up on the coffee table and pulled out his phone to mess with it, and Galo looked at his legs some more.

Earlier, one of those legs swept him hard enough to knock him over, and Lio pinned him between his knees, and god _damn_ Galo really needed to stop thinking about that.

He wanted Lio to step on him.

"You're fucking _drooling_!"

Lio looked scandalized. Galo had apparently been staring again.

"You've _got_ to be joking…" Lio added, barely speaking louder than a breath. "When? I have to know."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Galo answered, honestly.

"Really?" Lio leaned closer, making Galo lean back. " _No_ idea. I'm sure."

Galo still didn't have an answer - Lio's face was so close. His frown was especially kissable. _Kissable_. His heart was doing somersaults.

Lio shook his head, threw his hands up in the air in resignation, and retreated to his room.

Instead of coming up with some clever retort, Galo bit his tongue, but honestly there was very little chance he'd have come up with anything.

Galo _loved_ living with Lio.

And maybe he loved Lio.

Like, _in_ love kind of love.

  
  


It wasn't something he could take lightly; Lio was in a rough spot mentally and ought to be treated with some level of gentleness. He wasn't made of glass and he'd be really pissed if Galo treated him like he was, so there needed to be a _balance,_ and Galo just wasn't great at working these things out in his head.

Just gotta go for it, right? Balls to the wall!

That in mind, and fists clenched tight, he approached Lio and offered, possibly at too high a volume (if Lucia's snickering was any indication), "Hey! Still need help practicing for that CPR test?"

Lio glanced up at him and didn't answer yet.

"I mean-- I have free time, if you're down!"

With a sigh, Lio pulled out his wallet and held up a card for him to see. His certification. "That was yesterday. Thanks anyway."

"O-oh."

Galo wondered if he imagined the tiny smile on Lio's face as he tucked the card and his wallet away. "I still have some forms to fill out before I'm a full member of Burning Rescue, though."

"Oh! When you're done with those, let's go celebrate!"

"The whole team? Not a bad idea." Okay he definitely wasn't imagining that smile now, but it looked sneaky rather than happy, and Galo couldn't piece together why. Also, he _hadn't_ meant as a team, but if Lio wanted it that way, that was fine too! Really! He could invite him on what could tentatively be called a date some other night. Any other night.

Lucia straight-up snorted. They both looked over at her and she spun her chair around to pretend she hadn't been listening.

Lio shrugged and walked into the back office to meet with Ignis. Galo followed him (or. Parts of him, in those leather pants) with his eyes until the door closed behind him, then melted into a chair.

"You're hopeless," Lucia said. She was frantically texting someone. Probably everyone. Whatever she had gleaned from that conversation was now going to be gossip among all of Burning Rescue.

"Thanks, Lucia."

"No problem! Next time you try to seduce him, try not being a total doofus."

"Isn't that part of my charm?"

"You have no charm."

"Ah."

The concept of seduction was foreign to Galo though. It conjured mental images of rose petals scattered over beds, or rooms filled with candles (out of the question, that was dangerous. One or two might be okay). He'd never tried something like that, and didn't think Lio would really be into it. He'd be worth the effort, if Galo thought it would work. Lio would probably just laugh though - and that was a best-case scenario. There was also the chance he'd be super uncomfortable and move out.

And he really, _really_ didn't want that. Even if he had an unrequited crush forever, it was better than Lio getting pissed at him and leaving.

  
  


He'd started daydreaming a little too often. It was getting messy.

Even he knew he was being too obvious. There was no way Lio hadn't noticed, and yet he kept calmly changing the subject, with a weird smile on his face.

His stomach twisted in knots when he thought about it. All that dodging meant there was no way Lio felt the same.

It'd be fine though; they were friends, and Galo would get over it and they'd go back to being normal friends.

  
  


"You're avoiding me now," Lio accused him. Completely accurate. He'd also pinned Galo to the wall with a foot in his stomach, knee bent so he could lean in and glare at him. So flexible.

Galo was sweating bullets. "Uh. No I'm not?"

"You suck at lying," Lio helpfully informed him. "It's time we put this to bed, don't you think?"

Okay that wording _had_ to be deliberate. Galo gulped.

"Meet me after work. Storage room."

Lio was definitely hard to read. A mystery.

  
  


A really hot mystery.

  
  


Galo might've arrived a touch too early, and instead of letting himself go crazy, he started messing with some of the things Lucia had dumped in storage (that he guessed no one else even knew about). He was going a little crazy regardless. Whatever Lio wanted, it was sure to be as dramatic and life-changing as Lio himself.

Which was probably okay.

He started to fiddle with something on the top shelf when the door flew open and he froze.

Actually froze. His wrists had ice around them. He made an undignified squawking noise and looked over to see Lio with the ice gun pointed at him. "What the--"

"That's really satisfying. I see why you were so trigger-happy before," Lio said with a grin, letting the door fall shut behind him.

"You--!!"

"Hmm?" Lio stepped closer, until he was inches away, still grinning and waiting for Galo to form an actual set of words that even sounded close to a sentence.

Galo's arms were frozen to the shelf above his head, so there wasn't a whole lot he could do. "You can't just shoot people with those!"

"You shot me with it, and I won't let you forget it," Lio's smile was so bright and annoying and frustrating. "Twice. Well, more than twice, but only those two really count."

"You can't have it both ways! Either you _let_ me win, or I beat you!" Lio had been pretty adamant that he'd let himself get caught on purpose that day.

(It hadn't really done much to Galo's pride; he was glad he hadn't been the one to put Lio in that awful prison. It still sucked that he'd put himself in there, but at least it wasn't Galo's fault.)

"Well," Lio continued, a playful lilt in his voice, "I'm having it whatever way I want, today."

Galo was about to question that, but Lio leaned closer and _kissed_ him. Brazen and confident. Demanding. Like there wasn't a doubt in his mind that Galo wanted it.

He wasn't wrong, of course. Galo wanted it so bad that his brain just about melted out of his ears. He struggled to pull his arms free and felt cold metal against his side.

Lio had the gun barrel pressed against him, a bizarre juxtaposition to the way he tilted his head and forced Galo's mouth open with his tongue. But, hey, if Galo had learned anything about himself lately, he's developed some kind of a danger kink and that's just fine. Lio is awesome, even when he's pushy. Especially when he's pushy.

Lio tasted like mint. He'd _prepared_ for this.

Apparently Lio didn't want him struggling free, if that gun threat had been any indication. Well, fine then. Galo squirmed and Lio started to pull back, but Galo trapped him in his legs. Lio had his tongue down his throat. He was hanging by his wrists and his legs were wrapped around Lio's waist. What a day.

With amusement, Lio lowered the weapon and set it on the shelf behind them as he ended their first kiss. Hopefully first of many. "No more running?"

"Who's running?"

"You were," he told him, gently sliding his gloved fingers up Galo's torso, stopping at his collar. "You took too damn long."

Galo was a little puzzled; his brain _had_ just melted, after all. Before he could ask another dumb question, Lio kissed him again. Brief this time. 

"You could've had this a lot sooner, you know," he barely pulled away as he spoke, winding his arms around Galo's neck. "Just imagine it. If you hadn't been such an idiot, I'd have taken you months ago."

_Taken_ him. Ohhh. Wow.

That first time Lio suggested they could just share the bed-- was he thinking about _this_ the whole time?

"You were…"

"Yes, Galo, I was trying to seduce you. I kept exposing myself, inviting you into my bedroom. Making myself vulnerable. Did you _ever_ stop to think about what my intentions were?"

"I don't think," Galo answered immediately, hugging Lio's body tighter with his legs to try and get him close enough to kiss him again.

"...Not with your brain, anyway," Lio glanced downward with a smirk. "I just have to know why you started to look at me differently after I started threatening you with a gun."

Galo's face was red. That was genuinely not what did it to him, but he _had_ started to enjoy it, after seeing how efficient with that gun Lio could be. "That wasn't it."

Lio's expression softened, and he waited.

"It… Kinda hit me when I saw you put out that fire, but. I think I've always-- Anyway! When did you start--"

"When you lit one." He spoke easily, as if it was such a simple thing to admit. Galo could only stare at him like an idiot. It looked like his cheeks were slightly pink, but he was so confident that it would've been easy to miss. He patted Galo's thigh. "...Okay, legs down. I need to break you free."

"You don't _need_ to…" He didn't mind this so much; Lio could honestly do whatever he wanted, Galo would be down.

"Yes, I do. You're not burnish and I don't want you losing your hands to frostbite. I have plans for those." He pulled out a pocket knife and found a good point in the ice to chip at it so it would break quickly, and Galo started to notice that yeah, he was starting to lose feeling in his arms. There were less troubling ways to let Lio tie him up.

Was he even really into that, or just playing along with what he thought Galo was into? Furthermore, was Galo even into it, or was he just really into Lio having his way? Worth exploring.

With a snap, he cracked it enough that Galo could pull his arms free, chunks of ice clattering on the floor and all of Galo's weight shifting to his legs, still around Lio's waist. Lio held him up well. There was a lot of strength in that wiry frame. It might've looked a bit goofy, if either of them cared.

"So," Lio murmured, slipping his arms around Galo to support him and encourage him onto his own feet. "We can either take this home, or be as impatient as possible. I can guess what you want."

"Yeah," Galo answered, finally letting Lio's body go and standing properly. "Both."

He took the opportunity to touch Lio's neck with his icy cold hands, and Lio muffled an uncharacteristic giggle by pressing his mouth against Galo's once more.

  
  
  


They were caught by Ignis before they could get up to anything too wild, and told to go the fuck home.

Totally fair.

At least they'd only been making out at the time. Could've been way worse. Or better.

"Hey, Lio?" Galo started talking as they walked to their door. "I don't want to complicate things."

"You sound like you're about to," Lio pointed out, a frown tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"I love you."

"Oh." Lio looked mildly surprised. For a second, Galo's heart started to sink, but then Lio added, "How is that complicating anything? I thought it was pretty clear that I feel the same."

"Oh."

Lio almost laughed again, then reached up and grabbed Galo's ear to tug him down for a kiss, a playful sort of punishment for being dumb again. "Now, let's go inside and turn one of those bedrooms into a guest room instead. Shall we?"

"That sounds like a lot of work." Galo stared down at him, unsure. He'd been kind of hoping for a bit more fun that evening, less work. More making out. Maybe more than that. Turning one of the bedrooms into a guest room meant-- oh, he meant they'd share from now on, _that_ was the point, okay. Totally doable.

Lio rolled his eyes, and gave Galo a shove toward the door. "Yes, yes. Get in there, take your clothes off, and quit being stupid."

Galo whipped his shirt over his head the second he was inside, tossing it over the couch. He would never stop being an idiot though - Lio would just have to work on his subtly sexy invitations.

Then again, on a physical level, he had it down.

The way he sauntered into Galo's room as if he owned the place, peeling off gloves with his teeth. He sat so elegantly down on the bed, and then spread out like he was claiming every bit of space for himself. Like he was on his throne again.

Yeah. That was real nice.

"Well?" He curled a finger in a motion to encourage Galo closer.

Lio could have whatever he wanted, at this point. Whatever it was, Galo practically threw himself between his legs and unfastened the belts so fast he was almost worried he'd break them. Lio's dick belonged in his mouth _immediately_.

"You look good on your knees for me," Lio taunted him, right before Galo cut him off by yanking his pants out of the way just enough.

He wasn't as small as he looked like he should've been. Luckily, Galo was smart(?) enough to not voice that thought out loud (though to his knowledge, Lio had never been insecure about his height. Still, it seemed rude to bring it up). He put his big mouth to better use and Lio made a really, really sweet sound in response.

Fingers slipped through Galo's hair, smooth and gentle. Lio's body was curled over him, and he was murmuring soft encouragement. "Never tell me where you learned this" was one of the more interesting things that spurred him on. "I'll be so jealous."

Hands on either side of his face pulled him upwards and away from Lio's erection, up into another kiss. He complied, somewhat reluctantly. He'd wanted to make Lio finish in his mouth, but if Lio had other plans, that was awesome too.

"Since you've been daydreaming so much," Lio said between quietly desperate kisses, "What is it you want most?"

Those eyes that always looked so intense, they were like magma. Burning and melting all at once. Kind of terrifying but beautiful, like Lio himself. " _Everything_ ," Galo breathed, but that wasn't fair. Lio always gave him anything he wanted, from giant fire-made matoi to ass-kickings, so he ought to be more specific. "Do whatever you want to me. Fight me."

Lio's shoulders tensed and he bit back a smile. "Is _that_ what you were on about… Interesting." He paused and looked around. "If fighting is foreplay to you, we're going to need to put down a mat of some sort. Make more room… A project for another day."

He kissed Galo again, then kicked him the second they parted. Not hard, just a good push to knock him down. Lio wasn't the type to _actually_ hurt anyone.

"Dunno if it's that," Galo looked up at him from the floor, grinning. "It's just hot when you do it."

"I see," Lio considered, pressing the sole of his boot to Galo's shoulder firmly. "So, do you want our first time doing this completely devoid of _any_ romance? Or just a little rough?"

That boot pressed harder until Lio was standing over him again. Galo swallowed hard. "I just… Want you to be the boss?"

"The boss that loves you and wants to make you feel good?" Lio kept pressing with questions and with his foot, pushing Galo to the ground and leaning almost threateningly, "Or the boss that works you too hard and takes advantage of your loyalty?" He ground his heel on the last few words, experimentally.

Galo squirmed. There was a non-zero probability of him just dying, right there on the floor, because Lio was too fucking good at getting him worked up. "C-can't I have both? A happy medium?"

Lio's laughter was sly, and sweet. "Alright," he said, stepping off Galo and offering him a hand, "Just know that I _do_ love you, so if I push you too far I absolutely need to know. Got it?"

Galo, seeing stars, nodded and stood with Lio's help. Lio was so dazzling that he made the room spin. Or maybe there was just no blood traveling to his brain anymore.

"Good. I'll be right back. Pants off. Hands on the wall, spread your legs and wait for me."

At some point Lio had fixed his pants so they tightly formed around his ass again, and Galo wondered if Lio would be willing to switch at some point. Didn't have to happen, but Galo imagined making that slender body writhe under him would just be. Amazing. Incredible.

Not that this wouldn't be, too. Lio was pretty incredible at everything.

Obediently, Galo shook his pants off, abandoning them on the floor. He was probably imagining it, but the air was cold when Lio wasn't in the room, so spreading himself out was a bit more of a chore.

He wasn't gone too long, and returned with _supplies_. He'd prepared for this far beyond minty breath.

"Very nice," Lio said, scrutinizing every inch of Galo's body. His eyes may as well have been shooting electricity everywhere he looked because Galo was tingling more with every second, chills crawling across his skin. "I'm glad I didn't try to guess what size would be a comfortable fit for you," he said, gesturing with a box of condoms. "If you want to do me, you'll just have to get your own for next time."

Galo made a noise he'd never heard himself make before.

"Keeping the sleeve on?" Lio started to break the seal on a bottle of lube.

"Y-yeah, if you don't mind." It wasn't really a problem. Lio could see the scars, he knew they didn't bother him, but they could still be a little sensitive, depending on things like humidity and temperature. And sweat could be an issue.

"Of course I don't." Lio wasted very little time, and a wet finger pressed against his ass, wriggling inside without much difficulty.

Again, Galo made a noise he was completely unfamiliar with.

It wasn't like he'd _never_ experimented with this.

This just felt better. It was Lio's fault.

"You're already so relaxed for me, Galo," Lio cooed, but it sounded like a tease.

"I can take anything you can dish out!" Galo challenged him with a wide grin.

Lio stood close to his side, pressed up against him, fingering him with more enthusiasm. "That's good," he murmured, "Keep your hands on the wall. I'll take good care of you, I promise. May I leave marks?"

Galo did keep his hands cemented to the wall, but he curled his fingers with mild frustration. "Do it."

Teeth sank down right by his shoulder blade. His limbs felt weaker and he trembled, gasping out more of the sounds that Lio seemed to really like drawing out of him. Fingers - he'd added another - massaged his insides _just_ right, and Galo let out a whimper too.

And his as-of-yet ignored hard on was still being ignored, and throbbing almost painfully.

Lio slowly licked over the bite mark, like an animal tending to a wound. Hot.

"Lio, fuck, hurry up, I'm dying."

"Pardon? Who is it you think you're talking to, Galo Thymos?"

"Nooo…" Galo whined. " _Boss_ , I'm going to die of old age before you fuck me, at this rate."

Lio turned his head away to hide his barely-withheld laughter. When he'd gathered himself, he was smiling warmly. "Just a little more."

"Noooooo," he whined again.

"What a convincing argument," Lio teased him again, shoving a third finger in a little more roughly.

"C'mon, Lio," He pleaded. "Set me on _fire_."

That seemed to do something. Lio stilled for half a second, and pulled his fingers out of him.

If their situations were reversed, and someday they might be, he'd never be able to get Lio to beg. Lio fought hard for his dignity and Galo respected the hell out of him for it. He couldn't even _imagine_ it.

But he'd roll over and beg for Lio in a heartbeat. Galo had no use for dignity.

He heard him fuss with the bottle again and shuddered.

There was a swift kick to the back of his knees and Lio grabbed his hips, steadying him at a lower height. God. That was fucking _cute_. Galo could absolutely not say that out loud.

Lio penetrated him slowly, with such fine control that Galo couldn't help being impressed. Frustrated, but impressed. Still, once Lio was fully inside him, he let out a stuttering breath he didn't know he was holding.

He rested his arms against the wall, leaning forward more to change the angle slightly, then pressed his face to his forearm when he suddenly shuddered.

"Feel okay?" Lio asked in a slightly softer tone than before. More genuine, concerned. Needlessly concerned.

"Amazing. _Move_."

"Hmm?"

"Move _please_?"

Lio did, but not fast enough, not hard enough. Galo could tell he was building up to it, but he was impatient and his dick was starting to hurt.

As if he was a mindreader, Lio's hand grasped him and stroked firmly. His legs felt weak, and if Lio's other hand wasn't gripping his hip he probably would've fallen flat on his face.

The pace was still agonizing; Galo could feel everything so distinctly, every single inch of him. A wrinkle in the rubber that kept sliding through. Lio's soft breathing on his back, slightly labored, like he was having a hard time holding back. A light twitch in his fingers.

He groaned Lio's name and pleaded again and it helped, Lio moved faster, his hand squeezing at the tip of Galo's erection once stroking him became too difficult, but to compensate he thrust inside him with more force.

"Come," Lio whispered against his shoulder, "Finish with me, Galo."

Galo tried to challenge him again by saying "make me," but it definitely didn't come out that way, more like a strangled keening because his body, the traitor, was following Lio's instructions instead of his own. His legs gave out, and if Lio wasn't holding him he'd be crashing on the floor.

He gasped out several curses under his breath and Lio bit him again.

It was _good_ , but.

He wished he was facing him. To kiss him stupid, mostly. And watch his expressions.

Well, there would be more opportunities. Lio had already hinted at that.

Lio started cleaning them up, pushing Galo toward the bed so he could lie down. He wasn't being sweet about it, just efficient.

By the time Lio crawled into bed beside him, Galo had been dying to kiss him again, so he stole one without a word.

A hand held the back of his neck so he couldn't end it too soon, and he may as well have melted right there. Lio, who was inexplicably still wearing way too much clothing, made a soft noise of approval in his throat and bit Galo's bottom lip, gently enough that it might not show up in the morning. He made it feel as though he'd been just as hungry for that kiss as Galo had been.

And when he finally allowed him movement, Galo could only stare at him before diving down for one more.

Lio was so beautiful and tempting that it was _unfair_. Now that he knew he was allowed to touch, he never wanted to take his hands off of him.

"I take it you want another go?"

He didn't think he imagined the hopeful tone in Lio's voice.

"First," he paused for one last kiss, "How about dinner?"

"Mm, can we just have it delivered?" Lio moved closer, laying his (very attractive, leather-clad) legs over Galo's lap. "I can't give you all the attention I want to if we have to cook, or go somewhere."

If that wasn't tempting enough, the way he nibbled and licked at Galo's neck and collar while he was calling in his usual order sure was. He tossed the phone across the room as soon as he hung up and tackled Lio to the bed.

  
  
  


Lio's feet were cold at night, and he hogged blankets.

When Galo complained, he just said, "I'm always cold, now that the Promare is gone."

So all that lounging around in his underwear really was for Galo's benefit. He sure felt like an idiot. And a little guilty, for letting Lio suffer through that just to try and attract him.

Galo's solution was to buy more blankets on his next day off. Like five of them. Keep Lio toasty and happy. And well and truly fucked every night, until he wore an utterly blissed-out expression and couldn't even move anymore - Lio always returned the favor in kind.

"Hey, do you actually _want_ to tie me up?" Galo braved the question while Lio studied a length of cord with a frown.

"...No."

"Not into it?"

"Not at all. Restraining someone is the antithesis of everything I stand for."

Galo had to figure out what 'antithesis' meant through context clues. "So, you know we don't have to do it, right?"

Lio looked up at him silently.

"Things aren't dull between us, we don't have to experiment with anything if you don't want to." He said, casually folding his arms behind his head. "I just thought you liked it because you kept trying to shoot and trap me with that ice gun."

"No," Lio said, looking back at the cords. "I just thought that would be funny."

Galo elbowed him.

"That said… _I'm_ willing to try being tied up, if it's something that interests you."

"And that doesn't bother you?" It would be pretty surprising. Lio never spoke about being imprisoned as a burnish, but it seemed really bad, from all the secondhand information he'd come across. Maybe 'horrific' was a more accurate description.

"Not as much as it should, all things considered." His smile was bizarre in a way. A little wistful, but mostly he was just being a tease, as he was wont to do.

So they tried it, but Galo kept a knife on the nightstand in case it was needed for an emergency rope-removal. Didn't need it after all, but the precaution felt necessary.

  
  


The first actual date they shared was about two weeks into their relationship; it took about that long for them to feel confident they would be able to keep their hands to themselves long enough to get through dinner.

Well, that was how Galo felt about it. But it wasn't like Lio was trying all that hard to show any restraint either.

They went out for a light dinner at some restaurant neither of them had heard of before but they passed every day on their way to and from work, and the food was mediocre at best but it was fine. It wasn't about the food, it was about the way Lio kept nudging him under the table to make him jump. It was about the way he laughed behind his fingers at some of the dumb things Galo said. He'd reached for Galo's hand on the way home, and squeezed it, the subtle affection striking home so well that Galo was about ready to pick Lio up, tuck him under his arm, and _sprint_ the rest of the way to their apartment.

If it was just about sex, that would've been a little silly.

But it really wasn't _about_ that.

Not that it wasn't amazing, but there was more to it.

Lio had a surprisingly sweet side. He wasn't afraid of liberal use of the word 'Love', which was awesome. Galo knew some guys were more standoffish than that, wouldn't ever say it first, and that was what he'd thought Lio would be like in the beginning. Not so. He should've guessed Lio wouldn't tiptoe around things like _feelings_. He probably thought people who did that were pathetic. God, Lio was cool.

It was great to see him so relaxed and happy. At work he was all business, an unflinching badass, the _boss_ without actually being anyone's boss. It was wild. Galo loved that, too, of course.

But that tired laugh and the way he snuggled close in bed? That gave him _life._

That promise that they'd clean up in the morning that they'd always regret, that kiss goodnight, and the breathing against his skin as it changed from heavy panting to shallow, sleepy breaths, it was something Galo wanted to keep forever.

He woke to a very slight tapping sound one night. He'd been conditioned to wake to those recently, so he sat up and saw Lio looking at him.

"...I knew you weren't always awake." It might've sounded like a tease, but Lio's voice was wrong for that.

"Everything okay?"

"...No." He didn't go into any more detail than that just yet, leaning over and pressing his face against Galo's collar.

"Dreams?"

"No," Lio answered. "Doubts."

Galo's heart sped up, and Lio seemed to take notice.

"Not about you." He amended quickly.

"Oh. Well that's… Good? Not really, though," He rubbed Lio's back and waited. He waited a long time. Lio never explained himself further. "So, when you knocked on the wall for me before, that was to seduce me?"

A tiny laugh escaped and it made Galo feel a little better. "Never at first," Lio explained. "But after you'd helped me through what bothered me, I would think about how much I wanted to repay you…"

He could've pointed out how little that was necessary, but Lio had to already know that. 

"I've barely given myself time to mourn the burnish lives lost," Lio finally said, "I can't possibly deserve to feel this… content."

"Can't just be sad forever," Galo pointed out. "Do you think they'd want that for their boss?"

"Their boss started fires, he didn't put them out."

Galo's hand stilled on Lio's back. He was unsure what to make of that statement.

"I know better. I do. But thoughts aren't always rational."

"Don't I know it," Galo added, with a laugh. Lio was doing a fine job of rallying himself, so he didn't feel too bad for the laughter.

Lio looked up at him again, with an amused-but-pretending-not-to-be expression, and pinched his cheek. "If you bring up that stupid fire again--"

"C'mon, you were so cool! I can't wait for our next serious call, I want to see you do it again."

"You're _hoping_ for a serious fire?"

"Not like that!" Galo argued, "I just like watching you show off."

Lio rolled his eyes and waited a few seconds before asking, "What part of my body do you want me to shove in your mouth to shut you up?"

An effective silencer.

  
  
  


Thankfully, the world had changed, and calls never involved human combustion anymore. Well, never say never, but it hadn't yet, and probably wouldn't.

Fires were still dangerous, but they weren't as alive and resistant to traditional firefighting methods (like _water_ , for example) as burnish fires. The anti-burnish technology that had been developed was overkill.

And yet, they still used it. It got the job done faster. Kept more people alive.

Galo was also a big fan of tradition, though. Really old, manly traditions, like matoi.

"I can't use an Absolute Zero bullet here if there's people inside," Lio announced, almost sounding worried. He rarely let his calm mask come off in front of people, so Galo knew it was probably time for the rest of them to start worrying too.

"On it!" He shouted, charging through the front door of the burning house in his mech (which was a bit too large for a standard door, and he broke the frame but didn't notice it at the time).

"What th-- _Galo_!"

The entire team except for Ignis shouted at him with some synonym for 'idiot', and he didn't even pay attention.

"He's got this," Ignis assured them, only to stop them from going in after him (like bigger idiots).

It was just an electrical fire, but it got out of control, and it was the middle of the night so the sleeping family was trapped on the second floor. Lio had picked up on the fire's path and explained that the ice would trap and likely kill the family if he used those special, heat-devouring bullets he was so efficient with. So this was something Galo was better suited for. That's all there was to it.

Lucia gave him directions over the comms, and Galo swept up the stairs to the family, huddled and mostly unconscious from the smoke. A child was covered by her mother's body, so she was awake, and sobbing.

Not a problem. Galo was awesome at handling rescues like this.

"The ceiling is at risk of collapse," Lucia told him.

This was a pre-blaze house, then, probably just reinforced with fireproofing on the outside rather than fixing up the interior.

Galo was _way_ too familiar with those. Hadn't been in one for a while, but he was familiar.

Bracing his mech against support beams, he jumped out and lifted the parents onto his shoulders before leaning down to help the child. "You'll be safe, don't be scared!"

And other platitudes.

She clung to her mother's nightgown as he lifted her too. Not too bad, he could carry all three at once, no problem.

"But Sparky--!!" The child sobbed.

"Who's Sparky?"

"My doggy!"

"I'll save Sparky too, no problem!" Galo assured her, dashing down the stairs with the three of them over his shoulders. "Lucia, can you see where Sparky is?"

"Are you serious." Deadpan. She was annoyed with him. She definitely wasn't against rescuing dogs, but humans were always meant to be the priority. "Ugh, of course you are. Let's see… Room right below where they were stuck. Get them outside first, though, stupid. It's not like you can carry anyone else."

"Got it!"

The little girl had a grip on his hair, which was good actually because it helped him know she was doing alright, not about to lose consciousness. The same path he'd taken inside wasn't viable anymore, because it was smothered in fire, and he heard conversations over the comms that there might be a cave-in.

Well. If it had to be a window, it'd be a window.

He heard a whine and the little girl shouted for Sparky and she started to lose her grip on his hair, which was unacceptable. "Hold on tight, I'll get Sparky out of there."

The dog was a big mutt with an age-whitened muzzle, hiding under a desk with its tail between its legs. The little girl called its name and it shyly approached Galo enough that he could pause and grab the collar between his teeth - he had no free arms, why did people only come with two arms - and rushed toward the window.

First floor, no big deal. He kicked the frame hard to bust it out in one piece (less chance of broken glass injuries) and then burst out of the building, fire roaring behind him.

Lio was staring at him, abnormally slow to act.

Remi and Varys helped him with the rescue and eventually Lio shook off whatever was bothering him, looking through the visor Lucia had made him as his first piece of tech (it was supposed to help him pinpoint the hottest points of the fire, for using the absolute zero bullets efficiently, or whatever. Galo really didn't follow the technical stuff, just enjoyed playing with the shiny new gadgets), and then taking aim. 

All in all, it was a pretty successful rescue!

He only lost like, half his shirt, too.

Lio ditched on the afterparty though. Even though it included a cute kid and a really happy dog that liked pizza crust.

Just said, "I have something I need to do," and left.

That was fine, he could do whatever he wanted after the shift was over. And he would've invited Galo along if he'd wanted to. Lio wasn't the 'run away and see if they follow' type.

But Galo stayed, because until a relative came and picked up the girl he'd accepted responsibility for her and she was cute and so was the dog, so it was a good time. She was very interested in firefighting tech, and Sparky was very interested in barking at it for three straight hours, until an aunt showed up to take them home.

He wondered if Lio wanted kids ever. He was good at taking charge and would be a pretty amazing dad, but since he and Galo both worked in a pretty risky job, maybe it would be better if they didn't…

… Too soon to think about that though.

He took a shower at the station before going home, because he assumed he'd be crashing into bed to sleep the very moment he got back, and since he didn't sleep there by himself anymore, it'd piss Lio off if he went to bed smelly.

  
  


Lio was in the not-yet-a-guest-bedroom, hair pulled back into a tight little ponytail. A very tantalizing bead of sweat trailed down the nape of his neck, but Galo did his best not to stare.

He'd disassembled all the furniture and set it aside, against the wall. It looked like a completely empty room.

"Welcome back," he said with a sly smile, looking over his shoulder. "Like what I've done with the place?"

Where there was once carpeting, there was now fitness floor tiles.

"...You only left a few hours before me!" Galo said, forgetting to answer the question because of how impressed he was. Lio was so efficient. Seriously, how the hell did he manage that?

Lio chuckled and looked around the room. "We could make it a home gym, if you want. It's the shock-absorbing and soundproofing kind, so the downstairs neighbors probably won't complain."

Galo took his shoes off and stepped on it, mentally plotting out where he could put dumbbells and fancier equipment he didn't own yet, before Lio spoke again to keep him from getting carried away.

"Or, you can _fight me_."

"Huh?" Galo said, dumbly.

Lio didn't look mad. If anything, Galo had started to recognize that look in his eyes as _horny_ , which was… Okay. Yeah. They could fight.

  
  


At some point, Lio was behind him, and had an arm around Galo's neck in a chokehold. "You're going _easy_ on me, Thymos!" He accused.

Of course, Lio is small, so his feet didn't quite touch the floor when he did that. Galo flipped him over his back and he landed hard in front of him. He would have worried, but Lio shot right back up and swept at his legs.

If there wasn't adrenaline left over from the fire before, they wouldn't have kept it up. Their bodies were winded and sore and neither of them were stopping yet.

"That's 'cause--" He countered, shifting his weight so he'd fall forward, pin Lio underneath him "--You're _letting me win_."

He held Lio's wrists over his head and Lio beamed up at him. "Maybe that's because I want you to."

So sly. So sexy.

Galo snuck a kiss, and Lio bit his lip, still in fight mode. He didn't even mind.

Lio kneed him in the stomach, then did some fancy maneuver with his legs to flip the both of them over so he was sitting on Galo's waist.

"C'mon, you idiot firefighter. I just watched you carry an entire family of four out of a burning house, and you're going to let someone half your size take you down?"

"Oh? You liked that?" Galo was going to let it get to his head. 100%. "That turned you on?"

"...No. You had a dog in your mouth, that was a little too weird for me." Lio teased him, leaning down so their mouths just barely touched, "but, you did save four lives in one shot tonight. You are pretty amazing, I'll admit."

"It turned you on," Galo teased him back, with an eyebrow wiggle that made Lio laugh. Laughing lowered his guard so Galo could throw him off again, so he did, letting Lio land so hard on the mat that he heard all of the air leave his lungs.

It wasn't that worrying; Lio would stop him if he took it too far, and vice versa. So he held him down more firmly this time, holding him with his entire body.

"I was very impressed." Lio admitted once he'd caught his breath.

"Tuuurned ooonnn." Galo was not especially clever with his taunts, but it seemed to work anyway.

"Okay, sure, now are you going to rip my clothes off and continue, or are you just going to argue with me all night?"

"Well if you admit defeat that easily, you aren't giving me a whole lot of options."

"As I said." Lio shifted his hips. He was getting impatient. "I want you to win. So get on with it."

Galo laced their fingers together and pressed the backs of Lio's hands into the floor mats. "Y'know, one of these days I'll beat you without your permission."

Lio laughed at him, sliding his thigh between Galo's legs. He was going to say something, but Galo cut him off with a kiss. It was probably going to be something witty and rude anyway.

"So what exactly were you hoping for, after getting your ass handed to you?"

"Hell if I know," Lio admitted, grinning up at him. "First, I thought I'd give you a hero's welcome, but I was distracted. Somehow."

Galo let go of him and brushed a hand through his hair, the tie pulled loose enough during their grappling that it fell out easily, Lio's silky soft hair spilling around his head on the mat. Pretty. "I think I would've preferred the hero's welcome, but this was fun, too."

Lio chuckled. "Sit up, then, hero."

One thing Galo probably should have realized before they started dating: Lio was always going to be the boss. Whether he let Galo tie him up or pin him down, he was in charge the whole way through. Galo couldn't even tell if it was intentional. It was just who Lio was.

And Galo had no problem with that. He'd challenge him on some things, sure, but this? Nah.

So he sat aside, and Lio got on his knees and leaned in to kiss him again, first, and Galo took that moment to smooth down his hair. Lio's attention shifted, teeth on Galo's neck and hands on his belt.

"Whose soap did you use?" He suddenly asked.

"Uh, Aina's, I think." He'd run out and forgotten to buy more. It happened to all of them, so they'd just borrow from each other now and then. He'd grabbed a bottle with pictures of little white flowers and a melon.

"You smell adorable," Lio laughed.

Galo decided to take that as a compliment, for now. He knew Lio hadn't meant it as one (he wasn't one to talk, anyway, with the rose-scented body wash he used).

Once he'd worked Galo's pants open enough to free his erection, he tucked hair behind his ears and leaned down, lapping at the tip of it with intense focus. Galo leaned back to give him more room, and tried not to make any noise yet - sure, he'd be hollering if Lio kept going, but if he got too worked up too quickly, Lio would break his concentration just to be smug.

Lio held Galo's thigh with one arm, bracing himself so he wouldn't slip as his tongue got just a little more adventurous.

Galo's breathing picked up, he murmured some nonsense about how hot it was, and Lio relaxed his throat and took him down as deeply as he could, his fingers tight around the base when he pulled his head back to glance up at Galo again. He must've liked what he saw. There was that smug look after all.

"Two options," Lio started, barely pulling back enough to not have Galo's dick on his lips, breathing on the slickened head and getting a soft whine and a shudder out of him. "I can either keep doing this, or I can let you throw me down on these mats and fuck me until I can't move tomorrow."

Galo knew what he wanted - Lio was pretty amazing down there, didn't want him to stop at all - but he could tell from that wording that it was not the _correct_ choice.

"That doesn't sound like something a hero would do," He pointed out.

"Fine, be vanilla," Lio shot back, barely hiding a smile. "Vanilla-melon? That smell is so distracting."

"I promise I will never use her soap again," Galo swore and tried not to laugh in response, petting Lio's hair again thoughtfully for a few seconds as Lio leaned back down to return his attention to Galo's erection. It took effort not to try pushing him down - that tight, wet heat in Lio's mouth with the light scraping of teeth along the length, it was all very tempting, but Lio wasn't the type to be pushed into anything. He'd probably bite.

He saw impatient movement in Lio's hips and felt almost guilty for making him wait to have his way.

He pushed Lio's head off him gently, kissed his forehead and yanked his shirt off without much warning.

Also, that was one of Galo's gym shirts. Sleeveless, huge on him, but he'd forced it to fit by tying it off at the side.

Lio let himself be pushed this time without any fuss. "Knew you'd come around. Lube's by the door."

Indeed it was. Less than five feet away. Lio was always so prepared.

Galo stretched for it and Lio went ahead and slid his pants off before getting right back to Galo's cock, making Galo almost lose balance and fall backwards. He felt a brush of air when Lio laughed through his nose. Jerk.

It took patience to prepare Lio. His entire body was pretty petite and _no_ part of Galo's was.

Patience and determination. And some level of concentration, which Galo didn't have because Lio was not releasing him, sucking him down vigorously as if it was some kind of contest.

Still, Galo tried, leaning over Lio's body with wet fingers to try to spread him out blindly. It sort of worked, Lio reacted with a stutter in his movements once or twice.

"D-dammit, Lio, did you want me to do this to you or not?"

Lio hummed an affirmation, but didn't let up. Galo shuddered, but didn't try pushing Lio off of him again, just warned him when he was close and kept mumbling praise and pleading, resting his forehead on Lio's back once he finally had to give up on trying to prep him. Hands tight on Lio's waist, not quite holding him in place but holding him for the support.

Lio swallowed him down without hesitation. Grinning like an asshole when he pulled away. "You last longer for round two," he told him, finally.

"Is that any way to talk to the number one hero in the city?"

"Yes," Lio teased, sidling closer on his knees and parting his thighs to give Galo an easier time. He hugged around Galo's shoulders and buried his face against his neck, letting him hear and feel the soft sounds he made once Galo's fingers entered him properly. It was sweet. Weirdly romantic, maybe. Lio probably knew he loved those little affectionate gestures.

"You still smell adorable," Lio told him, helpfully.

It took a while, mostly because it was Galo's turn to tease the hell out of him and he was going to milk it for everything he could.

Lio wouldn't beg, and Galo would never make him, but it was still fun to watch him start trembling, feel his fingers digging into Galo's skin. Hear the little, impatient sounds he made that definitely weren't pleas, but weren't _not_ pleas either.

"You take too damn long," was as close to begging as he'd get.

"Thought you wanted it to last longer?" Galo grinned at him. Lio pinched his cheek and huffed.

Just like Lio always gave him what he wanted, Galo had to do the same. Lio hadn't brought any condoms in when he was preparing the room, so Galo assumed he wanted to go without. Which, hey, no complaints. He used the lubricant pretty liberally though.

Rather than letting Lio lie down or take the lead, Galo grabbed him by the hips, fingers gripping his ass cheeks and lining him up. Lio made a surprised noise by it, giving him pause, but then nodded to let Galo know he could go ahead.

Once seated in Galo's lap, he seized his mouth with a kiss to hide a whimper he was probably embarrassed by, but Galo thought it was cute.

"You want to keep controlling the pace, number one idiot hero?"

"You're giving me a workout today, huh?" Galo shot him a cocky grin.

"Again: a family of _four_. If you struggle with _me_ \--"

"Oh, I won't." He gripped Lio's waist and raised him up without much effort, but he definitely noticed Lio's hands move to his arms, feeling his muscles.

Subtle squeeze. Well, Lio might've _thought_ he was subtle.

Gravity was doing half of the work, at first, until Galo was getting impatient too, leaning Lio back and pushing inside of him with more force. He wasn't known for self-control, and he wasn't going to start showing any restraint now, not with Lio's tight little body under him, sweat-tipped bangs clinging to his forehead and frustrated tears in his lashes.

"Yesss," Lio hissed. "Just like that."

Galo's hands were both taken, so Lio was the one to reach between them and stroke himself. With his left, he reached around Galo's shoulders and clung on. He said he'd wanted this to go on longer, but it was Lio who came first, with a loud panting, his entire body tense.

So cute. The same Lio that could kick his ass with his hands tied behind his back (probably), the same one that fearlessly charged onto a battlefield as a sacrifice to protect his people, that put out raging fires with a single shot, and he was just adorable, clinging to Galo and gasping out "I love you" right against his ear like it meant everything.

And the weirdest thing was that it _did_ mean everything to Galo at that moment; he was the one who could lay claim to all of these different facets of Lio's personality and confidently say "I love you, too" right back to all of him. Overcome, that's precisely what he did, not sure if he was supposed to pull out but not doing it in time regardless.

Well, they could always shower again. After they caught their breath.

Needed to do something about that body wash, anyway.

  
  


Though it was pretty funny when Lio couldn't stand near Aina the next day without flushing and excusing himself.

  
  


"You're really into the hero thing, huh?" Galo decided to ask a couple nights later on the couch, when channel-surfing rewarded him with a whole lot of nothing. Lio was distracted with something reparations-related, so it was over Galo's head, and he knew he was little more than a nuisance but he was willing to play that role if it would get that frustrated look off of Lio's face.

"Huh?"

"Y'know, how I saved that family and you were all over me--"

"Ah," Lio stopped him, looking back down at the paperwork with an easily-missable blush on his cheeks. " _You_ definitely love the hero-worship, don't you?"

"Hell yeah, but this isn't about me."

"I'm…" Lio started, setting the papers down in his lap for a moment. "I'm really into _my_ hero, I suppose." He didn't act even the tiniest bit embarrassed to say that.

_Yeah_. Score one for the nuisance.

  
  
  


A full member of the team now, Lio was always invited on pizza nights, was suddenly Vinny's new best friend, and Lucia's favorite new test subject. Matoi tech would take a backseat for a while, it seemed, but that was okay, it wasn't easy to upgrade perfection. She may as well have a new project.

"I call it Detroitech." She looked proud of herself, patting the mech that was clearly styled after Lio's flame armor.

There were stars in Lio's eyes.

"It'll specialize in fighting fire with - get this - _fire_. Gotta stick with the theme, yknow?" She took a moment to chew on a piece of hard candy. "Combustions to remove oxygen and smother fire, and controlled burns to stop fire from spreading. You get to keep your fancy ice bullets too, but they don't match the concept."

"Can I try it now?" Lio was trying to keep his cool, but his excitement was easy to read.

"Sure. Let me just disable the weapons while we're in here." She flipped a remote switch and there was a whirring sound as the suit powered on.

It looked sleek and _dangerous_ , just like Lio had seemed the first time Galo met him. Those pointed legs he somehow balanced on so easily, the evil-looking grin on his mask - and when it shattered and showed his pretty face, and smelled of roses, but it didn't make him any less deadly.

Lio was new to piloting things with actual machinery involved, so it took him a few minutes to actually find his balance in the mech, but he was having fun.

Galo watched fondly as he and Lucia discussed details and he practiced movement.

Lio was still dangerous in a way; he was way stronger than he looked, quick-thinking and reactive. He'd spent most of his life fighting a war, and that didn't go away overnight. Galo had seen evidence of fistfights he'd gotten into, because he was willing to defend himself and his burnish friends and just about anyone being picked on. The kind of injuries you couldn't really show off like a hard-earned battle scar, but if you had good humor about it you could shrug and say 'you think I look bad, you should see the other guy.'

Things weren't perfect. Lio was still fighting that war, in a different way, and so he could still be labelled dangerous.

But he was also giddy to play with a robot, and he'd go home and hog the blankets and steal every bit of heat he could from Galo's body. He'd cook food so spicy it was just barely edible and sometimes, when he was cold, he'd zip Galo's hoodie around the both of them so he was trapped in there against Galo's chest, nice and toasty. He was bizarrely picky about scented soaps, and way too competitive.

And sometimes, Galo still wanted Lio to step on him. Walk all over him. Boss him around until it drove him crazy. Because it was hot, and he loved him, and there was never any _real_ danger, just the sexy kind. Lio gave him chills in all the right ways.

Dating Lio was always some kind of adventure. Every minute with Lio was an adventure. From piloting Lio de Galon to getting shot with ice guns to the simple things that had his heart racing every time, like when Lio would sit across his lap and kiss him casually, as if nothing was wrong with the world and they could afford to bask in this lovey-dovey shit that the rest of Burning Rescue kept giving them heat for.

He was gonna marry that bossy jerk someday.


End file.
